Wall systems



M. RICH WALL SYSTEMS May 7, 1968 Filed Aug. l0, 1964 www IN'VENTOR MICHAEL A RICH AGENT United States Patent Office 3,381,429 Patented May 7, 1968 3,381,429 WALL SYSTEMS Michael Rich, 70--28 Juno St., Forest Hills, N.Y. 11375 Filed Aug. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 388,641 9 Claims. (Cl. 52-250) The present invention relates to a wall system and more particularly to a wall system that provides superior sounclprodiing.

It is commonly known that a major difficulty encountered in multiple dwellings is unwanted sound transmission between adjoining apartments or between rooms in the same apartment. Many an irate tenant complains of being disturbed by the noises emanating from the apartment next door. In building construction which is frequently found today, ordinary conversations, ringing telephones and doorbells, plumbing sounds, 4and radio and television, are heard almost as eas-ily from the next apartment as in ones own. Most efforts to deal with the sound problem have been impractical because of their excessive cost which, added to todays high building costs, become prohibitive. Another drawback of previous-ly suggested systems is that they take away too much valuable space from the available floor area.

1t is, therefore, an object o-f the present invention to provide a wall system which will overcome the foregoing drawbacks.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system having exceptional soundproofing qualities which may be utilized with all commonly used partition panels.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wall system that provides superior soundprooting without taking up excessive space from the available floor area.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing in which:

tFIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention, incorporating wire lath and plaster, and partially broken away to show detail;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, partially broken away, of a portion of another embodiment of the present invention, incorporating gypsum lath and plaster; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3 3 in FIG. 1, with certain parts omitted.

Referring now to the drawing, the wall system comprises -a first series of vertical studs and a second series of vertical studs 12 spaced from and parallel to the iirst series 10. The studs may be made of any desired material and are mounted perpendicularly to the floor 1-3. In the structure shown, the studs are formed of a pair of uprights 14 joined to one another Iby a wire web 1S. One Way in which 'the studs 10 and 12 may be mounted is to secure the same in oor tracks 16 and 17 that are parallel to, but spaced from one another.

For reduced sound transmission it is preferable to mount each floor track on sound-isolating material such as a composite structure formed of a wood shoe 18 of about two inches thickness and three inches depth supported on a half-inch layer of cork 20. The entire structure rests on the floor 13 which is shown as being of concrete as is now common. It should be noted that a gap of approximately one-quarter inch should be left between the wood shoes 18 and about one-half inch between the two door .tracks 16 and 17. In this way two completely independent and identical wall constructions 22 and 24 are obtained. Where somewhat greater sound transmission is acceptable, the layer of cork may be omitted, or even the wood shoe 18 may be omitted and Itho tracks 16 and 17 may be secured directly to the floor 13. It is preferable, however, to prov-ide at least a wood shoe to avoid the unim'peded transmission of sound tfrom the studs -10 and 12 to the Hoor 13. The upper end of the studs 10 and 12 may be attached to the ceiling in any of the manners described.

Positioned be'tween successive studs 10 and also between successive studs 12 is a suitable insulating material such as rock wool or iiberglass bats 2S, that act to absorb any sound tending to pass through the wall and to eliminate any reverberation within the wall. While the bats are designed to fill the entire space between successive studs, there would be at least the space between successive bats as required to accommodate the studs. In addition, there would normally be additional spaces Ibetween successive bats because of imperfections in workmanship and installation. These spaces, repeated periodically along a wall, would permit the re'ady ilow of sound through the wall and seriously reduce its sound insulating qualities. Effectively to prevent such flow of sound, the studs are .staggered with respect to one another as shown in FIG. 3, preferably with the studs 12 midway between the studs 10. In this way, any sound that may pass through the space between successive bats between studs 10 will have to travel an indirect path t-o reach the space between successive bats between studs 12 and will be absorbed to a large extent. In this way, the eifective sound insulating properties of the resultant structure are signiiicantly greater than those of a wall of the same overall thickness, but having a unitary rather than a dual structure.

To complete the wall there are attached at vertical intervals on the outer face of each of the studs 10 and 12 va plurality of resilient clips 26 to which the partition panel is mounted. A wall of average height would require about four such clips. The partition panel may be of the type shown in FIG. 1 in which the resilient clips 26 hold pencil rods 2.8. Wire lath 30 is attached to the pencil rods 281 by means of wire ties 32 that are spaced from the clips 26 and serve to hold the lath 30 in a resilient manner. Plaster 34 is applied over the wire lath 30. With this construction, the ties 32 tend to hinder the direct ow of sound from the lath 30 to the pencil rod 28 and the resilient clips 26 tend to hinder the direct flow of sound from the pencil rod 28 to the stud. This effectively improves the insulating qualities of the structure.

Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 2, pencil rods 36 are attached to a first plurality of resilient clips 38 held by each series of vertical studs 40 as in the previously described embodiment. Gypsum lath 42 is held to the pencil rods 36 by means of a second plurality of resilient clips 44. Plaster 46 is then applied over the gypsum lath 42. A less expensive installation would utilize wallboard instead of lath and plaster.

With either embodiment, the wall system described provides two entirely independent wall constructions. There is no possibility of direct transmission of sound since there is no component of the system which is common to both sides of the system.

It may be seen, then, that the present invention provides a wall system which is strong but compact and which olfers exceptional sound-retarding characteristics. This system is easily utilized in all usual methods of construction and conforms to fire regulations.

While specic embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed:

I. A wall system comprising a lirst series of vertical studs, a second series of vertical studs spaced from and in staggered relationship to said first series there being no overlap between the innermost edges of the vertical studs of one series and the innermost edges of the vertical studs of the second series, a partition panel mounted on the outer face of each of said stud series and solid sound insulation material extending between successive studs in each of said series and substantially filling the space therebetween thereby to provide exceptional soundproofing.

2. A wall system as in claim 1 in which said partition panels are resiliently mounted.

3. A wall system as in claim 1 in which the innermost edges of the vertical studs .of one series are substantially aligned with the innermost edges of the vertical studs of the second series.

4. A wall system comprising a first series of vertical studs, a second series of vertical studs spaced from and in staggered relationship to said iirst series there being no overlap between the innermost edges of the vertical studs of one series and the innermost edges of the vertical studs ofthe second series, a sound isolating material positioned under said studs, a partition panel resiliently mounted on the outer face of each of said stud series and solid sound insulation material extending between successive studs in each of said series and substantially filling the space therebetween thereby to provide exceptional soundproofing.

5. A wall system comprising a first series of vertical studs, a second series of vertical studs spaced from and in staggered relationship to said first series, a plurality of resilient clips attached at vertical intervals on the outer face of said studs, a pencil rod held by the resilient clips of each of said studs, wire ties positioned on said pencil rods and spaced from said resilient clips, wire lath held by said wire ties, plaster applied over said wire lath, whereby the partition panel thus formed is resiliently mounted on the outer face .of each of said stud series, and sound insulation bats extending between successive studs in each of said series in staggered relationship and substantially iilling the space therebetween whereby sound passing through the spaces between successive bats in said iirst series must follow an indirect path to the spaces between successive bats in said second series thereby to provide exceptional soundproong.

6. A wall system as in claim S in which sound isolating material is positioned under said studs.

7. A wall system comprising a iirst series of vertical studs, a second series of vertical studs spaced from and in staggered relationship to said rst series, a plurality of resilient clips attached at vertical intervals on the outer face of said studs, a pencil rod held by the resilient clips of each of said studs, gypsum lath secured to said pencil rods, plaster applied over said gypsum lath whereby the partition panel thus formed is resiliently mounted on the outer face of each of said stud series and sound insulation bats extending between successive studs in each of said series in staggered relationship and substantially lilling the space therebetween whereby sound passing through the spaces between successive bats in said lirst series must follow an indirect path to the spaces between successive bats in said second series thereby to provide exceptional soundproong.

8. A wall system as in claim 7 in which sound isolating material is positioned under said studs.

9. A wall system comprising a lirst lloor track, a second floor track spaced from and parallel to said rst oor track, sound isolating material positioned under said tracks, a first series of vertical studs mounted in said irst floor track, a second series of vertical studs mounted in said second floor track in staggered relationship to said lirst series, a plurality of resilient clips attached at vertical intervals on the outer face of said studs, a pencil rod held by the resilient clips of each of said studs, wire ties positioned on said pencil rods and spaced from said resilient clips, wire lath held by said wire ties, plaster applied over said wire lath whereby the partition panel thus formed is resiliently mounted on the outer face of each of said stud series, and sound insulation bats extending between successive studs in each of said series in staggered relationship and substantially lilling the space therebetween whereby sound passing through the spaces between successive bats in said first series must follow an indirect path to the spaces between successive bats in said second series thereby to provide exceptional soundprooflng.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,096,773 5/ 1914 Vernon 52-407 1,815,075 7/ 1931 Sersen 52-241 1,898,736 2/1933 Melvin 52-360 1,990,259 2/1935 Walters 52-240 2,013,693 9/ 1935 Mclnerney 52-241 3,305,993 2/ 1967 Nelsson 52-481 FOREIGN PATENTS 779,582 7/1957 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, `Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. COOKE, JAMES L. RIDGILL,

Examiners. 

9. A WALL SYSTEM COMPRISING A FIRST FLOOR TRACK, A SECOND FLOOR TRACK SPACED FROM AND PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST FLOOR TRACK, SOUND ISOLATING MATERIAL POSITIONED UNDER SAID TRACKS, A FIRST SERIES OF VERTICAL STUDS MOUNTED IN SAID FIRST FLOOR TRACK, A SECOND SERIES OF VERTICAL STUDS MOUNTED IN SAID SECOND FLOOR TRACK IN STAGGERED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID FIRST SERIES, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENT CLIPS ATTACHED AT VERTICAL INTERVALS ON THE OUTER FACE OF SAID STUDS, A PENCIL ROD HELD BY THE RESILIENT CLIPS OF EACH OF SAID STUDS, WIRE TIES POSITIONED ON SAID PENCIL RODS AND SPACED FROM SAID RESILIENT CLIPS, WIRE LATH HELD BY SAID WIRE TIES, PLASTER APPLIED OVER SAID WIRE LATH WHEREBY THE PARTITION PANEL THUS FORMED IS RESILIENTLY MOUNTED ON THE OUTER FACE OF EACH OF SAID STUD SERIES, AND SOUND INSULATION BATS EXTENDING BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE STUDS IN EACH OF SAID SERIES IN STAGGERED RELATIONSHIP AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE SPACE THEREBETWEEN WHEREBY SOUND PASSING THROUGH THE SPACES BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE BATS IN SAID FIRST SERIES MUST FOLLOW AN INDIRECT PATH TO THE SPACES BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE BATS IN SAID SECOND SERIES THEREBY TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL SOUNDPROOFING. 